


anxious thru the roof talkin to u

by yousetmyheartonfire



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Nail Biting, Nervous Habits, Oneshot, no death btw, no editing we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 07:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18425403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yousetmyheartonfire/pseuds/yousetmyheartonfire
Summary: Neil had noticed it from the very first day he met Todd.In which Todd bites his nails and Neil is a little shit.





	anxious thru the roof talkin to u

Neil had noticed it from the very first day he met Todd. Anytime he was nervous or bored he would chew on the closest thing in sight. There were tons of discarded pencils bitten into wooden stakes littering Todd’s drawers. His fingernails were practically stubs from how much he anxiously chewed them away. There were tons of hangnails that got pulled from his skin, leaving his cuticles red. Neil couldn’t help but feel bad for him. The poor kid was just a ball of stress being thrown around every time something went mildly wrong. 

Todd was writing furiously in his notebook, scratching things out and staining his hand with grey residue. His eraser has been bitten off, but he didn’t use it beforehand anyways. Neil looked up briefly from his Latin homework to study him. He could sense that something was bothering him. 

After a moment, his curiosity got the best of him. 

“What’re you writing?” 

Todd looked up, spooked.

Neil laughed lightly. “Sorry, didn’t realize you were in the zone.”

“No, no! It’s fine. Just working on a poem for Keating’s class.” His face had gained a slightly pinkish tint to it. 

Neil’s eyes seemed to sparkle in the dimly lit room. “Can I read it?”

Todd nearly choked. “Uh, it’s not finished yet.” 

Neil stood up and leaned his head against the wall, staring at Todd. It reminded them both of a particular incident in which Neil stole his notebook. Sensing that mischief was about, Todd closed his notebook quickly and held it tightly to his chest. 

“Can I get a preview then?” 

Todd shook his head. 

Neil rolled his eyes. “Come on, even Shakespeare previewed his work.” 

Todd’s face suggested a smile. “Are you sure about that?” 

Neil feigned offense. “Your things may be poetry, but mine is acting!” 

“You can read it when I’m finished.”

“No,” Neil smiled and Todd knew what he was thinking. 

“Neil I swear—“ 

He was cut off by the other boy somehow snatching up his notebook. It was sort of becoming a habit. He turned away, leaning against the wall and started flipping through the pages. Todd tried reaching over his shoulder for it, but it was in vain. Eventually he resigned to leaning on Neil’s shoulder, still half-sitting in his bed. He peered at the words on the lined paper and looked back up at Neil, who was reading excitedly. 

It wasn’t a very good poem if you asked Todd. Then again, he would say that even if he had painted the Mona Lisa. If you asked Neil, it was a masterpiece to rival all other poets. Surely Frost and Thoreau has nothing on the boy sitting beside him. Neil looked over at him and their faces were closer than either had anticipated. 

A question threatened to break out from both of their lips, but neither was bold enough to act first. 

“What did you think?” Todd asked, trying to look anywhere else, but still finding their eyes meeting. 

“It was... it was amazing. You really do have a way with words.” Neil couldn’t have hid the affection from his voice if he tried. 

When Neil glanced down at Todd’s lips, he might’ve gasped slightly. Really it was the smallest intake of air, but with the lack of personal space it felt loud enough to break the sound barrier. 

“You always write such beautiful poetry. You should let me read it more often,” Neil continued, causing Todd’s face to flush once again. 

Neil couldn’t focus his eyes on anything except Todd’s bottom lip, which was being invaded by his nervous habit. Todd was anxious about something, as he was chewing his lip like a piece of bubblegum. It really was so distracting. 

His nervousness only fueled the adrenaline pumping through his veins. All the what-ifs were popping up in his head too fast. He was thinking too much about only one person. Maybe he could claim these thoughts were clouding his judgement. 

He’s pretty sure he whispered “Carpe Diem” before he pressed their lips together. He couldn’t remember because he was too distracted by the fact that they were actually kissing. Neil responded within seconds, assuaging any of Todd’s fears. Maybe he had been expecting it. 

Todd really was so good with words, but they evaded him now. It wasn’t even a good kiss. He was positive that it was both of their first and they weren’t skilled in the least. It was merely a press of their lips, but it meant so much in that moment. 

Neil couldn’t have been happier. 

It was brief, and when they parted you could feel the tension melting away in the room. The falling action, if you will. 

“Wow...” Neil remarked. “You are a terrible kisser!” 

Todd playfully shoved him away. “How would you know? We both know that was your first!” 

“Oh it was yours too!” Neil sat on the edge of the mattress and ruffled Todd’s hair. A beat passed. 

Todd broke the silence this time. “So you feel the same?” 

Neil smiled at him and it was the most beautiful sight he ever saw. He would have to give Neil partial credit for all the poems he would write about his honey-colored eyes. 

“Well how do  you feel?” Neil teased. 

Todd grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him forward. They stumbled slightly as he got his first and second kiss in a matter of minutes. 

Todd pulled away. “If you’re asking if I like you... of course I do. I love you, always will.”

Neil looked completely starstruck. After a second he regained his composure. “I told you, you have a way with words.” 

Neil finally kissed him first for once and they were both smiling too much for it to even be considered a kiss. 

“God, I love you.”     


End file.
